1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector and more particularly to an electrical connector used in, for instance, small size electrical appliances.
2. Prior Art
In for instance, computer related electronic appliances, the electrical connections including connections to an AC adapter, to interfaces, etc. are made in many different ways. Such electrical connections are typically made by connectors that substantially comprise a receptacle (female) side connector element and a plug (male) side connector element that is brought into the receptacle side connector and coupled thereto for making electrical connection in between so that pin-shaped electrodes installed in the connector elements are connected.
More specifically, connectors typically include in their metal shells a plurality of pins (or terminals) that are arranged in parallel in their longitudinal directions and positionally secured by insulator material such as polyamide, LCP (liquid crystalline polymer), etc. The pins in the receptacle and plug side connector elements are spacedly arranged side by side in the direction in which the connector elements are mated together.
Upon making connection of the plug side connector element into the receptacle side connector element, it is necessary that respective pins in two connector elements be aligned to be on a straight line. In other words, it is necessary to avoid the connector elements from being oblique to each other when they are brought together at their front edges for connection. If the plug side connector element in an oblique posture with reference to the receptacle side connector element, as shown in FIG. 10, is pushed into the receptacle side connector element, an irregular pin connection is made (as at 100) as seen from the enlarged view shown in the circle in FIG. 10, and this would cause several problems including short-circuiting.
In addition, when the plug side connector element is connected to the receptacle connector element in a slanted posture (which can easily occur when there is size differences between the receptacle and plug side connector elements), removing of the plug side connector element from the receptacle side connector element is not easily done and occasionally requires forcible and repeated twists on the shell of the plug side connector element This would cause damage to the pins and the shells of both connector elements.
Thus, though pin alignment is essential when connection is made between the two connector elements, such a pin alignment is not obtained easily and this difficulty can occur often when the connector is small in size and used in small size electrical devices such as a personal digital assistance (PDA), digital cameras, camcorders, etc.